“He tells himself it’s just the coffee. But she’s the one habit he can’t control.”

Friday Rain

Alaric Cain built his empire on control. As CEO of Cain Security International, he thrives on precision, power, and fear — never emotion. Every morning runs on schedule, every detail calculated. Even his detour to a dingy coffee shop on 4th Street has become part of the armor: strong Americano, no mistakes, always handed to him by the same soft-eyed barista who scribbles messy flowers on his cup.

He tells himself he goes back because she makes the coffee right. The truth is messier.

When Alaric learns she’s being followed home at night, his rigid world begins to crack. Watching becomes protecting. Protecting becomes intervention. And on a rain-soaked Friday, he steps out of the shadows — furious, dangerous, and far too close.

He’ll excuse it as routine. Oversight. Efficiency.

But some routines aren’t meant to be broken.

fem!pov